Dispenser for textile hand towelling web

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for textile hand towelling web is disclosed which includes a motor driven dispensing roller for withdrawing fresh hand towelling from a supply and dispensing this fresh hand towelling, and a motor operated retracting device for drawing used towelling into the housing of the dispenser. The retracting device is also operable in a reverse direction for dispensing used towelling from the housing. A braking flap is provided which is adjustable between an effective position in which it serves to smooth and tension the used hand towelling travelling to the retracting device, and an ineffective position in which it is released from the used towelling. A programming control arrangement controls the operation of the two motor drives as follows. After starting by a user a first part length of fresh hand towelling is dispensed by the dispensing roller. At the same time a dog or cam coupled to the dispensing roller shifts an adjusting thrust rod which in turn moves the braking flap into its ineffective position. Then the retracting device is operated in said reverse direction for dispensing a length of used hand towelling. Thereafter the dispensing roller dispenses a second part length of fresh hand towelling and restores the braking flap to its effective position. The two motor drives are then held at rest for a predetermined period during which the user can dry his hands on the loop of towelling now hanging out of the housing. When the said period has elapsed the retracting device is operated for drawing the used hand towelling into the housing. The retracting device may be temporarily stopped under overload, but the programme end can only be reached and a new operation started when at least a predetermined length of used hand towelling has been drawn in and the hand towelling has thereafter been tautened.

United States Patent [191 Kullik Nov. 18, 1975 DISPENSER FOR TEXTILE HAND TOWELLING WEB [75] Inventor: Gunter Kullik, Beerfelden,

Falken-Gesass, Germany [73] Assignee: Conrad Wolfgang Schnyder,

Triesenberg, Liechtenstein 22 Filed: Jan. 31, 1975 21] Appl. No.: 545,784

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 6, 1974 Switzerland 1605/74 [52] US. Cl. 312/38 [51] Int. Cl. B65H 19/00 [58] Field of Search 312/37, 38, 39; 242/5553 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,826,548 7/1974 Schnyder et a1. 312/38 3,858,951 1/1975 Rasmussen 312/38 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg 1 ABSTRACT .A dispenser for textile hand towelling web is disclosed which includes a motor driven dispensing roller for withdrawing fresh hand towelling from a supply and dispensing this fresh hand towelling, and a motor operated retracting device for drawing used towelling into the housing of the dispenser. The retracting device is also operable in a reverse direction for dispensing used towelling from the housing. A braking flap is provided which is adjustable between an effective position in which it serves to smooth and tension the used hand towelling travelling to the retracting device, and an ineffective position in which it is released from the used towelling. A programming control arrangement controls the operation of the two motor drives as follows. After starting by a user a first part length of fresh hand towelling is dispensed by the dispensing roller. At the same time a dog or cam coupled to the dispensing roller shifts an adjusting thrust rod which in turn moves the braking flap into its ineffective position. Then the retracting device is operated in said reverse direction for dispensing a length of used hand towelling. Thereafter the dispensing roller dispenses a second part length of fresh hand towelling and restores the braking flap to its effective position. The two motor drives are then held at rest for a predetermined period during which the user can dry his hands on the loop of towelling now hanging out of the housing. When the said period has elapsed the retracting device is operated for drawing the used hand towelling into the housing. The retracting device may be temporarily stopped under overload, but the programme end can only be reached and a new operation started when at least a predetermined length of used hand towelling has been drawn in and the hand towelling has thereafter been tautened.

2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 1 012 3,920,294

Fig. 7

US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,920,294

7 a 9' 0 20150 210 240 2703oo 330 360 step DISPENSER FOR TEXTILE HAND TOWELLING WEB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is desirable in a dispenser for hand towelling webs, which includes a reel of fresh hand towelling and a reel of used hand towelling, that the hand towelling shall be held in a taut condition over the underside of the housing when the parts are at rest in a condition ready for use. Dispensers for hand towelling webs of this nature are known. It is further desirable in these appliances that not only fresh hand towelling shall be dispensed when use is made thereof, but also a length of used hand towelling to present a loop of which the front part consists of fresh hand towelling. When use is made of a braking flap for the towelling which smooths and tautens the towelling running to the reel of used towelling,

it is desirable that this flap shall be taken out of the path of the hand towelling when dispensing is required so that it does not interfere with the operation.

It is also known to operate a dispensing. roller for the issuing of fresh hand towelling and a retracting device for the dispensing and retracting of used hand towelling by electric motor means.

0 position, and will switch on from the third to the fourth The object of the present invention is to-provide a dispenser for hand towelling webs with simple and reliable control means for the driving motors and for the adjustment of a hand towelling braking flap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The subject of this invention is a textile hand towelling web dispenser comprising a housing to accommodate a supply of fresh hand towelling from which hand towelling can be withdrawn and dispensed from the housing through the agency of a gnotor driven dispensing roller, and comprising a retracting device, likewise motor operated, for drawing used towelling into the housing, this retracting device also being operable in a reverse direction to dispense used hand towelling from the housing, including a flap for braking the hand towelling arranged to bear yieldably against hand towelling travelling to the retracting device, to divert this and to smooth and tension it, and an adjusting member which is operable to move the hand towelling braking flap out of the way of the hand towelling for the dispensing of used hand towelling and to bring it into an inactive position, characterised by a dog coupled to the dispensing roller for operating the adjusting member and a programming control arrangement with means,

to hold the driving motor of the dispensing roller in an active condition in a first stage of the programme for the purpose of dispensing a first part length of fresh hand towelling and moving the hand towelling braking flap into its ineffective position,

to operate the retracting device in the aforesaid opposite direction in a second programme stage for the purpose of dispensing a length of used hand towelling,

to maintain the driving motor of the dispensing roller switched in again in a third programme stage for the purpose of dispensing a second part length of fresh hand towelling and for releasing the hand towelling braking flap,

to hold the operating motors out of action for a predetermined period in a fourth programme stage, and

to drive the retracting device in at least one final programming stage for drawing in the used hand towelling.

programme stage only when the handtowelling braking flap is released for acting on the towelling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment ofa dispenser for textile hand towelling webs according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and this will now be explained in detail. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a hand towelling dispenser with the side wall of the housing omitted,

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control arrangement of the dispenser and FIG. 3 is a diagram to explain the operation of a switch-operating drum of the control arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The textile hand towelling dispenser which is illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a housing with a rear wall I which, for example, may be fastened to the wall of a toilet, a housing'top 2, and a housing bottom 3 which is of dished form and which accommodates a fresh supply of hand towelling in the form of a reel 4.

Fastened to the rear wall 1 are two lateral mounting plates 5, one of which is visible in the drawing, and a rotable dispensing roller 6 and a rotatable retracting roller 7 are arranged between them. The web of fresh hand towelling from the reel 4 can be dispensed from the housing through the agency ofa dispensing roller 6. The path of this towelling is depicted by a chain dotted line 8. The dispensing roller 6 can be driven from an electric motor 10, which has been omitted from FIG. 1 and is merely shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, through a worm wheel 15.

A reel 9 of used hand towelling is disposed above and in contact with the retracting roller 7 and is impelled by this roller to draw used hand towelling into the housing and wind it up. An electric motor 11, which again is omitted from FIG. 1 and is merely diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, is used for driving the retracting roller 7 through a worm wheel 21. The worm wheel 21 carries a dog 22 which cooperates with a switch 23 (see also FIG. 2) and operates this once per rotation of roller 7.

A programming wheel 17 is coupled with the worm wheel 15 of the dispensing roller 6 through a pinion 16 with a transmission ratio of 1 z 2.5, and this wheel 17 has two dogs 18 and 19 cooperating with a switch 20 (see also FIG. 2). In addition the programming wheel 17 has an eccentric cam or dog 26 which cooperates with the leading end of a thrust rod 27 mounted for horizontal displacement on the mounting plate 5. The rear end of the thrust rod 27 cooperates with an arm 29 mounted on the pivot shaft of a hand towelling braking flap 28. This flap presses against the used hand towelling, as it runs to the reel 9, between two projections 31 and 32 provided on the rear wall of the housing, under the action of a draw spring which engages the arm 29,

for the purpose of smoothing and tautening the hand .towelling.

The hand towelling dispenser illustrated in FIG. 1 has a control arrangement which is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2. This arrangement has ten control switches S1 to S10 which are operated by a rotable drum 35 provided with cams. This drum has twelve different angular positions (spaced from one another by 30) and can be brought successively into these positions by a stepping motor 36. FIG. 3 shows which of the switches S1 to S10 are held closed by the cams in the different angular positions of the drum 35. The stepping motor can be brought into operation through various control circuits, one of which contains a delay device 37 and another a manually operable switching de vice 38. The control arrangement includes, in addition to the switches 20 and 23 mentioned above, a switch 39 which is operated by a dog on the thrust rod 27 (FIG. 1) when this is pushed rearwards by cam 26, and a switch 41 which is operated by an arm connected to the braking flap 28 when this flap is forced out by taut hand towelling between the projections 31 and 32 against the action of spring 30.

The operation of the hand towelling web dispenser illustrated is as follows: I

When the parts are in a rest position ready for operation the hand towelling which has been used by a previous user is wound up on reel 9; the hand towelling 8 is drawn tight over the bottom of the housing between the dispensing roller 6 and the reel 9. The cam drum 35 is at the position (FIG. 3); consequently only switch S2, of the switches S1 to $10, is closed and a positive voltage is applied to the switching device 38.

This switching device 38 is for example a lightresponsive unit, a proximity or contact switch, a press button or the like, and it is operated by a new user (or simply by the approach of the latter) to bring about the dispensing of hand towelling. The operation of the switch-on device 38 brings into action the stepping motor 36 which turns the cam drum 35 into position 30.

' i In this position of the cam drum 35 switches S3 and S6 are closed. Positive voltage is applied to the dispensing motor via the switch S3. Motor 10 turn the dispensing roller 6 in the dispensing direction, so that fresh hand towelling is drawn off the reel 4 and delivered from the housing. At the same time the programming wheel 17 is turned at the reduced ratio 2.5:] so that the cam 26 pushed the thrust rod 27 rearwards. As a result the hand towelling braking flap 28 is released, against the action of the spring 30, from the hand towelling which engages projections 31 and 32, and moved into its ineffective position. Further, the thrust rod 27 operates switch 39 to connect switch to the closed switch S6. The switch 20 itself is closed by the dog 19 and switches on the stepping motor 36 as soon as the programming wheel has made about 1/2 turn and the dispensing roller 6 has been turned about 1.25 rotations. The stepping motor 36 turns the cam drum 35 into position 60.

In this position the switches S4 and S5 are closed. The motor 11 is given positive tension through switch S4 so that it turns the retracting roller 7 in the windoff or reverse direction to dispense used hand towelling from reel 9. The delivery of used hand towelling can be performed without difficulty thanks to the previous release of braking flap 28 from the hand towelling. After a maximum of one rotation of retracting roller 7, the

dog 22 operates switch 23 which, fed through switch S5, delivers a switch-on signal to the stepping motor 36.

In position of the cam drum 35 the switches S4 and S5 are again closed and the same proceduretakes place as in position 60, that is to say used hand towelling is again released by a length representing one rotation of the retracting roller and then the cam drum 35 is moved on again through motor 36.

In position l20 of the cam roller the switches S3 and S7 are closed.,Positive tension is applied to the dispensing motor 10 through switch 3 so that it turns the dispensing roller 6 to discharge more fresh hand towelling. At the same time the programming wheel is also turned further, as a result of which cam 26 disengages from thrust rod 27 and the braking flap 28 returns to the effective position thereofillustrated in the drawing. Likewise, the switch 39 is at this point released and returns to the illustrated position in which it connects the.

closed switch S7 to switch 20. As a consequence the latter emits a switch-on signal to motor 36 as soon as it is operated by dog 18 after one half rotation of the programming wheel 17.

In position of the cam drum 35 only a signal is given through switch S1 to the delay device 37. A pre- I determined period is then begun to enable the user to dry his hands on the loop of hand towellingwhich is hanging from the housing. This loop consists of a length of used hand towelling representing two or somewhat less rotations of retracting roller 7 run off the reel 9 and.

a predetermined length of fresh hand towelling corret v sponding to 2.5 rotations of the dispensing roller6.

When the first half of the predetermined use period has elapsed, the delay device 37 gives a signal to the stepping motor 36 and this turns the cam drum35 into position In position 180 the switch S1 again gives a signal to the delay device 37, and the second half of the use per-' iod then follows after which the drum is turned into the 210 position.

In the 210 position of drum 35 switches 85 and S9 are closed. Switch S9 causes negative tension to be applied to the retracting motor 11 with the result that this i i turns the retracting roller 7 in the draw-in direction (wind up) to reel up used hand towelling on reel 9." After one rotation of retracting roller 7 the dog 22 operates switch 23 and this, fed through closed switchSS, imparts a switch-on signal to the stepping motor 35.

In positions 240, 270 and 300 of the cam drum the switches S5 and S9 are closed similarly to the position 210 and further used hand towelling is drawn in and wound up, a length corresponding to one rotation of i the draw-in roller 7 being involved at each position; The braking flap 28 is then in the active position illustrated and smooths and tautens the hand towelling running to the reel 9. When the hand towelling between i the projections 31 and 32 becomes taut during the int duction, for example because it is held taut by auser,

all of the hand towelling which had previously beendispensed and wound up, the towelling is tautened over the underside of the housing again and flap 28 operates the switch 41. This switch operation interrupts the current to the motor and at the same time issues a switchon signal via the switch S10, now closed, to the stepping motor 36. This turns the cam drum 35 further into position 360 or as a result of which the dispenser is restored to its rest position ready for operation. It is only at this time that the switching device 38 is reactivated through switch S2 and can be operated again.

So long as the draw-in roller 7 has not completed four rotations during the retracting operation and hence moved on the cam drum 35 from position 210 to positions 240, 270, 300 and 330, position 360 cannot be arrived at, switch S2 therefore cannot be closed and the switching device 38 cannot be activated. Activation of the dispensing motor is thus inhibited until a predetermined length of used handtowelling (corresponding to four rotations of' the draw-in roller 7, about 8/9 length of the previously dispensed handtowelling) has been drawn in and until thereafter the switch 41 operated by the tautened handtowelling emits a switch-on signal through switch S10. When motor 10 is switched off the dispensing roller 6 is blocked, being connected with the motor through a worm gear.

When the supply 4 of hand towelling has been used up and the end hangs out of the housing for a final use, this use is followed by a winding up of the whole remainder of the handtowelling on reel 9; this is because the towelling can no longer be tensioned, the switch 41 is in consequence not operated in the 330 position of the cam roller 35, so that the retracting motor 11 simply runs on. In such an event the retracting motor will be finally stopped by the delay device 37 after the lapse ofa predetermined period of time. This delay device 37 imparts the signal, which it receives through switch S1 in position 330, to the stepping motor 36 to bring about the indexing to position 360.

Switch S8, not hitherto referred to, which remains closed in all positions of the cam roller 35 other than 0,only has the function when the dispenser is opened, to move on the cam drum 35 to the 0 position independently of the then prevailing phase of the programme, this in conjunction with a cover switch (not shown).

What I claim is:

l. A dispenser for textile hand towelling web comprising:

a housing adapted to accommodate a supply of fresh hand towelling,

a dispensing roller and means for driving said dispensing roller in order to withdraw hand towelling from said supply and to dispense this hand towelling from said housing,

a retracting device and means for driving said retracting device in order to draw used hand towelling into said housing, said retracting device also being operable in a reverse direction to dispense used hand towelling from said housing,

a towelling braking flap arranged to bear yieldably against said hand towelling running to said retracting device, to divert this hand towelling so as to smooth and tension it,

an adjusting member which is operable to move said hand towelling braking flap out of the way of the hand towelling into an ineffective position for the dispensing of used hand towelling,

a dog coupled to said dispensing roller for operating said adjusting member,

and a programming control arrangement including:

a. means for holding said dispensing roller driving means in an active condition in a first programme stage for the purpose of dispensing a first part length of fresh hand towelling and moving said towelling braking flap into its ineffective position,

b. means for operating said retracting device in said reverse direction in a second programme stage for the purpose of dispensing a length of used hand towelling,

0. means for maintaining said dispensing roller driving means switched in again in a third programme stage for the purpose of dispensing a second part length of fresh hand towelling and releasing said towelling braking flap,

d. means for holding said dispensing roller driving means and said retracting device driving means out of action for a predetermined time period in a fourth programme stage, and

e. means for driving said retracting device in at least one final programme stage for drawing in the used hand towelling.

2. A dispenser for textile hand towelling web as claimed in claim 1, wherein a means is provided for determining the position of said towelling braking flap, and wherein said programming control arrangement comprises means for permitting switching on from said first programme stage to said second programme stage only when said towelling braking flap is in its ineffective position, and means for permitting switching on from said third programme stage to said fourth programme stage only when said towelling braking flap is released. 

1. A dispenser for textile hand towelling web comprising: a housing adapted to accommodate a supply of fresh hand towelling, a dispensing roller and means for driving said dispensing roller in order to withdraw hand towelling from said supply and to dispense this hand towelling from said housing, a retracting device and means for driving said retracting device in order to draw used hand towelling into said housing, said retracting device also being operable in a reverse direction to dispense used hand towelling from said housing, a towelling braking flap arranged to bear yieldably against said hand towelling running to said retracting device, to divert this hand towelling so as to smooth and tension it, an adjusting member which is operable to move said hand towelling braking flap out of the way of the hand towelling into an ineffective position for the dispensing of used hand towelling, a dog coupled to said dispensing roller for operating said adjusting member, and a programming control arrangement including: a. means for holding said dispensing roller driving means in an active condition in a first programme stage for the purpose of dispensing a first part length of fresh hand towelling and moving said towelling braking flap into its ineffective position, b. means for operating said retracting device in said reverse directIon in a second programme stage for the purpose of dispensing a length of used hand towelling, c. means for maintaining said dispensing roller driving means switched in again in a third programme stage for the purpose of dispensing a second part length of fresh hand towelling and releasing said towelling braking flap, d. means for holding said dispensing roller driving means and said retracting device driving means out of action for a predetermined time period in a fourth programme stage, and e. means for driving said retracting device in at least one final programme stage for drawing in the used hand towelling.
 2. A dispenser for textile hand towelling web as claimed in claim 1, wherein a means is provided for determining the position of said towelling braking flap, and wherein said programming control arrangement comprises means for permitting switching on from said first programme stage to said second programme stage only when said towelling braking flap is in its ineffective position, and means for permitting switching on from said third programme stage to said fourth programme stage only when said towelling braking flap is released. 